Bell.



No. 67I,924. Patented Apr.l 9, 190|.

v E. D. ROCKWELL.

BELL. (Applicaeiu ma Aug. 27, 1900A) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

m: Nonnls FUER: ca.. PNomLlTHo., wAsHlNuon. n c4 No. 67|,924. Patented Apr. 9, I90I. E. D. BUCKWELL.

BELL.

. (Applicationled Aug. 27, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Shed 2.'

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

EDWARD D. ROCKWELL, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE LIBERTY BELL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BELL.

Ci SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 671,924, dated April 9, 1901.

Application filed August 27, 1900. Serial No. 28,097. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.: l

Beit known that I, EDWARD D. RocKwELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bristol, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bells, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, whereby any one skilled in the art can make and use the same.

Myinvention relates to the general class of alarm-bells as used on vehiclespand its object is more particularly to provide for automobiles and like vehicles a bell which shall be capable of giving a loud, clear, and penetrating sound.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of one form of embodiment of my invention, showing the bell-frame in side elevation with one of the gongs removed and the bell attached to the loor of a vehicle. Fig. 2 is a View in horizontal section through the bell. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a modified form of striker-arm. Fig. 4. is an edge view of the same. Fig. 5 is a detail view, in side elevation, of the striker-arm shown in Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a detail edge view of the same. Fig. 7 is a detail view, in side elevation, of the bell with one gong removed and showing a moded form of striking means. Fig. 8 is a view showing one form of the bell as applied to a bicycle. Fig. 9 is a detail View, on enlarged scale, showing the bicycle-bell in side elevation with one gong removed.

In the accompanying drawings the letter a denotes a frame or support, which is provided with means for attaching the bell to the vehicle on which it is to be used, and this frame supports the gongs and operative parts of the bell.

Where two gongs are employed, they are screwed onto the opposite ends of the shaft b,

which is mounted in the center and trans-l versely of the frame ain bearings in which it turns freely. The gongs c o face each other and their edges preferably underlie the rim a' of the frame a, so as to enable the rim to exclude to a certain degree dust and dirt.

One of the main features of my improvement resides in providing a comparatively loose support for the gongs, which are rotary with respect to the supporting-frame and are combined with striking mechanism which is actuated by the rotation of the gongs.

The gong-shaft b has a ratchet-wheel d (see Figs. l and 2) fast on and turning with it, a loose drive-wheel e being mounted on the same shaft neXt to the ratchet-wheel and in position for the spring-pawl f, borne by the drive-wheel, to engage the ratchet-teeth. The drive-wheel has a pinion e on its hub or fast to it, and the teeth oi' this pinion are in engagement with the teeth on the rack g. This rack g is preferably formed on the inner edge of the bent arm of a lever h, which is pivoted to the frame and swings in a central plane midway between the two gongs and in a space a2, provided between the cross-bars a3 0.4 of the frame a, in which the bearings' for the gong shaft are provided. The short arm h of this lever h underlies the tappet or plunger t, which is located in a socket or opening radially through the frame, this plunger serving as a means for swinging the lever h in one direction, the return movement being eected by the spring k, fast at one end to the frame a and at the other to the lever h. By this means a rotary movement may be imparted to the shaft b and the gong or gongs fast to it by a reciprocating movement of the rack. It is what may be called the primary means for sounding the gong. The loose connection between the shaft and its operating means above described allows the shaft to rotate independent of the primary operating means, and the gong or gongs secured to the shaft act as a fly wheel or Wheels to continue this rotation of the shaft after the primary means for driving it have ceased to operate in this respect. This means for continuing the rotation of the shaft is what may be called the secondary means for sounding the gong.

The gongs are sounded by striking mechanism, which includes ham mers borne on the gong-shaft in all except the modified form shown in Fig. 7. Acarrier-arm lis mounted on the shaft b in a radial position and turns with it, carrying on its outer end a striker or hammer m on the end of a bent striker-arm ln, Which is pivoted to the arm l. The strikerarm n has one part, n', which lies along the carrier, where it is held by a spring o and in IOO position to encounter a pin p on the crossbar of the frame a. This arm 'n' forms a trip which when it encounters the pin p tilts the striker-arm n and winds up or puts a tension on the spring o, so that when the end of the trip slips off from the pin, as it does in the continued rotation of the shaft, thc hammer is thrown against the gong and sounds it with a force depending in part on the strength 0f the spring. Where the two gongs are embodied, as shown in Fig. 2, there are two hammers, with their operating mechanism counterparts of each other (one hammer having been omitted from this View) and so located as to sound the gongs alternately. A stop l' in the return-path of movement of the trip n' under the pressure of the spring holds the trip in proper position to again encounter the piu p as the shaft continues to revolve, and thus repeats the blow of the hammer. A continued rotary movement may be imparted to the gong-shaft and the gongs by repeating the swinging movement of the lever h, as by the operation of the plunger or other convenient means the spring returning the rack to its original position, with its end h2 resting against the stop 0.5 on the frame, so as to hold the lever out of such contact with the gear as would put a brake upon the drivewheel. The drive-wheel being loose upon the gong-shaft and connected with the latter by means of a ratchet and pawl, as described, the manner in which this successive driving movement is imparted to the gong-shaft will be readily understood. Owing to the fact that the gongs are not rigidly attached to a base, frame, or other support, the vibration under the blow of the hammer is clear, loud, and enduring, so that much better results may be attained from a given size and weight of bell than in structures where the gong is fast.

In Figs. 3 and 4 a modified form of striking mechanism is shown, the carrier l having pivoted to its outer end a striker -lever 2, which has two arms located at an angle to each other, the arm 3 extending along the striker and forming a trip device, while the outer end of the lever carries the hammer. A spring 4 is secured at one end to a pin 5 on the carrier and at the other end to a pin 6 on the striker-lever, this spring being under tension, so as to hold these two points of attachment in line with the pivot 7, by which the striker-lever is connected to the carrier. The function of this spring is to hold the strikerlever normally in the position shown in Fig. 3 and to return the lever to the same position after the striker has been tripped, as by contact with the pin on the frame'in the manner already described. The recoil of this spring also serves to sound the gong.

In Fig. 7 a form of striking mechanism is shown in which the gong 8 is provided with a lug 9 and the swinging lever 10 has supported from it loosely-mounted strikers Il. When the striking mechanism is operated so as to rotate the gongs, these strikers l1 are carried down in position so that they will lie in the path of movement of the lug on the gong and cause the latter to sound. When the pressure on the rack or driving lever is removed, it is returned by the spring to the position shown in Fig. 7, and the strikers Il, resting against stops l2 on the frame, are held out of the path of movement of the lug and the sounding of the bell is stopped.

My improvement is adapted for use either on bells for automobiles and like vehicles, as illustrated in Figs. l to 7, or it may be embodied in a bicycle-bell, as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. The only dilerence in the bicyclebell over the form already described is that the clamp 13 differs from the form of attachment required in the automobile-bell, and in the place of a tappet the end of the rack-lever extends beyond the edge of the bell and is made in form of a thumb-piece 14. The bell is clamped in convenient position on the frame of the bicycle to be within reach of the rider, as illustrated in Fig. 8.

While I have shown and described herein one form of device in which my invention may be embodied,l it is obvious that this construction may be departed from to a considerable extent and yet come within the scope of the invention, which includes a hammer supported by a carrier and a trip adapted to cause the hammer to be swung against the gongr to sound it.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In combination in a bell, a supportingframe, a gong mounted to rotate freely on the frame, a pivoted hammer supported by the frame, means including the rotary gong for operating the hammer, and means for rotating the gong.

2. In combination in a bell, a supportingframe, a gong rotarily mounted on the frame, a hammer revolubly supported by the frame, means including the rotary gong for revolving the hammer at the saine rate of speed as the rate of rotation of the gong, and means for operating the gong.

3. In combination in a bell, a gong, a supporting-frame, a rotary shaft mounted in the frame, shaft-driving mechanism, a clutch interposed between the shaft and the driving mechanism, a carrier mounted on the shaft, a striking-lever carrying a hammer and pivoted to the carrier,a trip device on the strikerlever, a fixed stop fast to the 'frame and in the path of movement of the trip device, and means for resetting the trip.

4:. In combination in a bell, a supportingframe, a rotary shaft mounted in the frame, gongs secured to the opposite ends of the shaft and with their adjacent edges underlying the rim of the frame,shaft-driving means, a clutch device with a part secured to the shaft and a cooperating part connected to the driving mechanism, a striker-lever bearing a IDO IIO

hammer and pivotally supported by the shaft, a trip device on the striker-lever and a fixed stop in the path of movement of the trip.

5. In combination in a bell, a supportingframe of annular form, cross-bars at the center of the frame, a shaft mounted in the crossbars, a pair of gongs secured to opposite ends of the shaft, a clutch part fast to the shaft, a complementary clutch part loose on the shaft, a gear-wheel fast to the clutch member loose on the shaft, a swinging lever bearing a rack in mesh with the gear-wheel on the clutch part, a spring connecting the said swinging lever and the frame and holding the lever at one end of its path of swinging movement, means for swinging the lever, and bell-striking mechanism operated by the rotary movement of the shaft and the gongs.

6. In combination in a bell, a supportingframe, a shaft mounted in the frame, a gong secured to the shaft, a pivoted hammer supported by the shaft and arranged to sound the gong in its rotation, means for rotating the shaft, and a loose connection between the operating means and the shaft whereby the latter runs free in the sounding operation.

7. ln combination in a bell, a supportingframe, a rotary shaft mounted in the frame, a gong secured to said shaft, a carrier secured to the shaft, a swingingv hammer mounted on the carrier, means for swinging the hammer to sound the gong, means for rotating the shaft and including a loose connection between the shaft and driving means whereby the former runs free in the operation of sounding the gong.

8. In combination in a bell, a supportingframe, a rotary shaft mounted in the frame, a gong secured to the shaft, shaft-driving mechanism, a carrier supported by the frame, a hammer pivoted on the carrier, and means including the rotary gong for operating the hammer.

9. In combination in a bell, a supportingframe, a gong mounted on the frame to rotate independently of its operating mechanism, a pivoted ham mer supported by the frame, primary means for operating the mechanism to sound the bell, and secondary means for continuing its operation.

10. In combination in a bell, a supportingframe, a shaft mounted on the frame to rotate -independently of its operating mechanism, a

gongsecured to the shaft, shaft-driving mechanism, a carrier supported by the frame, a hammer pivoted on the carrier, primary means for operatingr the hammer, and secondary means for continuing its operation.

' EDWARD D. ROCKWELL.

Witnesses:

HOWARD S. PncK, EDsoN M. PECK. 

